236 
FLORA AND SYLVA 
RICHARDIArWITH COLOURED 
PLATE OF A NEW HYBRID (R. 
ca7itabrigie7isis).^ 
For three years past I 
The New Hybrids. , ^ , / 
nave no wered a charm- 
ing pair of hybrids to which has been 
given the name Richardia caiitabrigi- 
ensis. I speak of them as apair,for though 
identical the cross has been made both 
ways between R. Rehman7ii and R. 
7nela7ioleuca. In these charming plants , 
the pink colour of R. Reh77ia7i7ii\% clearly | 
seen, slightly on the inside of the spathe 
and more deeply on the outside, and 
this is an important point because of 
the great gain it would be if a good pink 
or red spathe could be produced. Some 
progress has already been made in these 
hybrids, for the pink suffusion appears 
under ordinary conditions whereas in R. 
Reh7na7i7ii it only appears under strong 
sunlight. Apart from the flushing of 
pink the spathes are ivory-white, but 
as in R. 77iela7ioleuca there is a fine dark 
eye. This dark eye is a dominant feature 
common to all the crosses though it 
does not belong to R. Reh7na7i77i. The 
leaves are intermediate in character 
though the stalks have little or nothing 
of the hairiness of 7nela7ioletica. The 
spathes may be described as half-open, 
and this, combined with their small size, 
gives a more refined effect than those 
that are larger and more widely spread. 
Cut, they made an exceedingly pretty 
display arranged with foliage in a silver 
vase in the Queen's Room at the Fitz- 
william Museum last year, when the 
new buildings were opened by the King. 
R. IRWIN LYNCH. 
Cambridge Botanic Garden. 
For many years prior to 
The Richardias. . i ^ rr> i 
the opening up or South 
Africa, the Richardias were a little group 
of four or five sorts found near the coast, 
of which only the White Arum (R. afri- 
ca7ia) was of importance, the other kinds 
being scarce or of no great beauty. But 
in 1 8 8 9 Elliott'sGoldenArumwasraised 
from seeds sent from South Africa, and 
thesensationofthisgainhadnotsubsided 
when, at Pentland House, Lee, a second 
new and richly-coloured Richardii {R. 
Pe7itla77d'i) appeared, followed in rapid 
successionbyonenewkindafteranother, 
until the group now consists of twelve 
or more species and a number of crosses 
and garden varieties. These new kinds 
are varied in colour of spathe, but by 
far the greater number are in shades 
of yellow, from the palest cream and 
sulphur, through ochreousand greenish 
shades, to the richest yellow verging 
upon orange ; in fact, the choice of 
yellow kinds and varieties has become 
almost embarrassing. From the failure 
of the Pink Arum (R. Re/i7na7i77i) to 
colour in our gardens, we are still 
without the Red Arum of so many 
dreams, though it is hoped, by crossing, 
to secure something in the way of a 
rosy or pink spathe. 
Though known botani- 
cally as Richardias — in 
honour of Richard, an eminent botanist 
early in the last century — these plants 
are mostly known by English names, of 
which there are several for the White 
Richardia, though few plants have been 
so unfortunate in the choice. The name 
" White Arum Lily " is firmly estab- 
lished by usage, spite of the fact that 
As to Name. 
* From a drawing by H. G. Moon in the Cambridge Botanic Garden. 
